The Sacramento Kings (3-2) will take on the Toronto Raptors (1-5) tonight in the NBA. Tipoff from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The oddsmakers see the Kings as 7.5-point road favorites over the Raptors (Kings -7.5), while the total is set at over/under 232.5 points. Sacramento is -350 on the moneyline to win outright, and Toronto is listed at +260 to pull off the upset.
Read below for my Kings vs. Raptors predictions and my NBA picks for Saturday, November 2.
Kings vs. Raptors Prediction, Pick, Odds
| Kings Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 232.5 -110 / -110 | -350 |
| Raptors Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 232.5 -110 / -110 | +260 |
- Kings vs. Raptors Spread: Kings -7.5
- Kings vs. Raptors Over/Under: 232.5
- Kings vs. Raptors Moneyline: Kings -350, Raptors +260
- Kings vs. Raptors Best Bet: Kings -7.5 (-110)
Sacramento Kings
The Raptors' defense has completely fallen apart after losing Scottie Barnes to injury a few games ago. In their last three games they’ve allowed their opponents to score 127 (DEN), 138 (CHA), and 131 (LAL).
We should expect the Sacramento offense to have success here, as the Kings currently rank 8th in adjusted offensive rating while the Raptors are 28th in adjusted defensive rating according to dunksandthrees.com.
Look for the Kings to generate tons of quality shots here as DeMar DeRozan and De’Aaron Fox continue to dominate in the mid-range.
Toronto Raptors
On the flip side of the ball, the Raptors are decidedly rim and paint oriented as they’ve become fairly devoid of competent outside shooters besides sophomore Gradey Dick. Toronto is 3rd in the NBA in offensive rim-rate and 16th in rim-efficiency (65.0%) on the season.
Unfortunately for them they run into a tough matchup here as the Kings have been elite at defending the rim this season, ranking #1 in the NBA in rim rate allowed. The Kings rank 28th in opponent three point attempt rate allowed, but the Raptors offense ranks dead-last in three point attempt rate this season.
This is clearly a bad matchup for the Raptor offense as they will be forced to be efficient from the outside but that is something they are not constructed to do right now given their plethora of injuries.
Kings vs. Raptors Prediction
As you may have guessed, I am a fan of the Kings at -5 here, as I view this as the worst possible matchup for this Raptors offense.
Not only do the Kings rank best in the league at rim-rate, they also allow the lowest opponent transition rate, another area which has been a point of emphasis for the Raptors this season.
Mike Brown is clearly prioritizing taking away the rim and all of the easy stuff in transition and that is a recipe for disaster for this young Raptors team that is not built to win the halfcourt against an experienced teams like the Kings.
